Toothbrush sanitizer



Sept 19, 1967 R. F. CURIEL TOOTHBRUSH SANIIIZER Filed July 20, 1964 5 V 6 N0. M W6 5 7 m; f p 4 w Z a 5% M 5 w United States Patent 3,342,544 TOOTHBRUSH SANITIZER Raymond F. Curie], 308 Lake St., Bakersfield, Calif. 93305 Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,618 10 Cla'uns. (CI. 2183) This invention relates to a sanitizer for toothbrushes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a toothbrush sanitizer which provides means for conveniently holding toothbrushes when not in use, wherein said brushholding means has incorporated therewith a container for a sanitizing aerosol solution, and wherein the brushes can be subjected to the aerosol when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the aerosol container is supported in the sanitizer with a portion of the container projecting exteriorly of the sanitizer, and wherein pressure upon the projecting portion of the aerosol container will cause actuation of the aerosol valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described wherein a plurality of brushes can be supported and the aerosol container can be turned to selected indicated positions so that the aerosol released from the container will be directed toward a selected one of the brushes.

Still a further object is to provide a holder for toothbrushes and an aerosol container wherein the brush heads and aerosol release valve are housed so that aerosol can be directed principally toward one of the brushes, but the housing will confine the aerosol or mist, and the remaining brushes will be subjected to the incident aerosol within the housing.

Another object is to provide means whereby each brush head is held in position in the housing a predetermined distance from the outlet of the aerosol valve. A further object is to provide a toothbrush sanitizer utilizing an aerosol container in an inverted position wherein the aerosol container has a removable cap which can be placed upon the inverted lower end of the container and projects through the sanitizer to provide means for pressing the aerosol container with its valve into contact with a triggering means for actuating the valve and releasing the aerosol.

The above and other objects will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view partially in top plan and partially in horizontal section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line 44 of FIG. 3', and

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

The sanitizer comprises a casing 6 having a base portion 8 and an upstanding central vertical top portion 10.

The base 8 has a bottom 12 provided with one or more bayonet joint connections with the vertical side wall of said base. The bayonet joint is shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. There is a slot 14 in the side of the base which has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion to receive a projection 16 extending inwardly from the inner lower portion of the base 8.

Said base 8 is provided with a plurality of toothbrushreceiving apertures 18 which are formed in an upper horizontal portion 20 of said base, said horizontal portion being located above portions of the bottom member 12.

The apertures 18 are of irregular shape and that which might very broadly be described as a keyhole. Each ap ture 18 has an enlarged portion 22 to receive the head of the toothbrush, a smaller portion 24 to receive the shank of the brush, whether it be a hand brush or one operated by a power device. The specific shape of the aperture 18 is not critical but the portion 22 should be larger than the portion 24, and there should be a neck 26 between them.

The bottom portion 12 has radially disposed inclined recesses 28 having downwardly and inwardly sloping wall portions 34) and upwardly and inwardly sloping wall portions 32 which are directed toward the top of a central post 34, the lower portion of which constitutes a knob to facilitate rotation of the bottom 12 when its removal is desired.

Each of the inclined recesses 28 has downwardly and inwardly tapering side walls 36. When a toothbrush is inserted through one of the openings 18, its head will be received in a recess 28, and when its bristles are directed inwardly, it will rest in the position shown in FIG. 3. The bristles, comprising the major portion of the head of the brush, enter through the larger portion 22 of the opening 18, and the medially restricted portion of the toothbrush handle rearwardly of the bristles will be received in the notch comprising the smaller portion 24 of the opening 18. This is true of either manual or mechanically operated brushes.

The upper section 10 of the casing is connected to the lower section 8 by means ofbayonet joint connections, as indicated in FIG. 4, wherein the horizontal portion 20 of the lower section 8 is provided with an L-shaped or keyhole slot 38 to accommodate a notched lower projection 40 extending downwardly from the upwardly extending upper casing section 10.

The upper section 10 has a downwardly disposed internal shoulder 42 adjacent its top, and a large upper central opening 44. Said central opening 44 is adapted to receive a removable snap cap 46 from an aerosol container 48, said container being adapted to hold a supply of a sanitizing liquid. The cap 46 is shown with a crimp 50 which is adapted to snap over a head 52 on the inverted bottom of the aerosol container 48. The cap 46 initially is removably mounted upon a head 54 on the inverted upper portion of the aerosol container to provide a safety cap for a conventional valve 56 which on aerosol containers has a lateral outlet 58 through which vapor is dispensed upon vertical and/ or lateral pressure upon the valve member 56.

As shown in FIG. 3, the aerosol container 48 is yieldably supported within the casing by a helical spring 60 which is suitably secured to the upper end of the post 34 in the center of the casing bottom 12.

Pressure upon the aerosol container cap 46 causes the aerosol valve 56 to engage the top of the post 34, and an aerosol spray of sanitizing vapor will issue from the outlet nozzle 58.

In order to determine the direction of the outlet nozzle 58, the aerosol container cap 46 is provided with an arrow or other suitable indicator 62 which is placed upon the container 48 so that it will be positioned in the same direction as the aerosol outlet 58.

It will be noted that the lower section 8 of the casing, and the upper section 10 thereof, are provided with ribs 64 and 66 respectively. These are utilized to strengthen the casing structure, and when the bayonet joints 16 and 38, 40 are in locked position, the ribs 64 and 66 are in alignment, as shown in the drawing.

It should be understood that various changes can be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a toothbrush sanitizer for use with an aerosol container having a movable aerosol releasing valve, a body having means for supporting the aerosol container for movement of the container and valve relative to the body, aerosol valve actuating means carried by said body for engagement by said valve when said container is moved relative to the body, and means carried by said body for supporting a toothbrush with its bristles exposed to an aerosol issuing from said valve.

2. The structure in claim 1, and said casing having an opening to admit toothbrush head and handle portions, and toothbrush supporting means including a portion for positioning the toothbrush head a predetermined distance from said aerosol valve.

3. The structure in claim 1, and said :body having means for supporting more than one toothbrush, and said aerosol container supporting means including means permitting shifting of the aerosol container to direct aerosol selectively from the aerosol container toward one of said toothbrushes.

4. The structure in claim 3, and said body including bottom, side and top walls defining a casing to confine the aerosol issuing from the container, whereby other than the selected brush is subject to incident contact by the aerosol.

5. In a toothbrush sanitizer, a casing having a side wall portion and a top, said casing having an opening for the insertion of a toothbrush head, the top of said casing having an aperture therein, an aerosol container unit having an outlet valve in its top, the aerosol container unit being disposed in said casing in an inverted position with said valve disposed downwardly and a portion of said container unit extending upwardly through the aperture in the top of said casing, an aerosol container valve trigger in the lower part of said casing beneath said downwardly disposed aerosol valve, and a vertically yieldable support for said aerosol container in said casing, said yieldable support biasing said aerosol container out of contact with said container valve trigger.

6. In a toothbrush sanitizer, a casing having an aperture in its top, a trigger in the casing below said aperture, a

downwardly yieldable support in the casing below said aperture, an aerosol container unit supported by said downwardly yieldable support and having a downwardly disposed aerosol valve upwardly spaced relative to said trigger, said container unit projecting upwardly through said aperture and movable downwardly under manual pressure to engage said valve with said trigger to open the valve, and said casing having means for supporting a toothbrush therein with its bristles in the path of flow of aerosol from said valve.

7. The structure in claim 6, and means in said casing between the upper portion of said casing and said downwardly yieldable support and defining a guide for said downwardly movable aerosol container unit.

8. The structure in claim 6, and said downwardly yieldable support having a vertically open portion, and a portion of said aerosol container unit being positioned in said vertically open portion,

9. The structure in claim 6, and said casing having a plurality of openings to admit the head and handle portions of toothbrushes, said openings being disposed at least partially about said aerosol container aperture, said aerosol valve having a generally laterally directed outlet, and the upwardly projecting portion of said aerosol container having means for indicating the position of said laterally directed aerosol valve outlet.

10. In a toothbrush sanitizer, a casing, means carried by said said casing for emitting a spray of sanitizing substance in the interior thereof, and said casing having an aperture for the admission of a toothbrush, said aperture having an enlarged portion to receive the head of the brush and said aperture having a smaller portion to receive the shank of the brush, said aperture having a restricted neck between the enlarged head-receiving portion and said smaller portion.

No references cited.

JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Acting Primary Examiner.

B. S. RICHMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

6. IN A TOOTHBRUSH SANITIZER, A CASING HAVING AN APERTURE IN ITS TOP, A TRIGGER IN THE CASING BELOW SAID APERTURE, A DOWNWARDLY YIELDABLE SUPPORT IN THE CASING BELOW SAID APERTURE, AN AERSOL CONTAINER UNIT SUPPORTED BY SAID DOWNWARDLY YIELDABLE SUPPORT AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED AEROSOL VALVE UPWARDLY SPACED RELATIVE TO SAID TRIGGER, SAID CONAINER UNIT PROJECTING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY UNDER MANUAL PRESSURE TO ENGAGE SAID VALVE WITH SAID TRIGGER TO OPEN THE VALVE, AND SAID CASING HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A TOOTHBRUSH THEREIN WITH ITS BRISTLES IN THE PATH OF FLOW OF AEROSL FROM SAID VALVE. 